The Final Summoning
by yunalesca78
Summary: The story of Lord Braska's pilgrimage, told in his own words. PG for later violence and mild swearing. R&R's much appreciated! *Uploaded Chapter 6: The Shoopuf Incident. YES!*
1. Farewell

This one's for the Braska fans, especially Silver Wolf. :-)

This started out as chapter 5 for my Reflections series, but I got a bigger idea. Please let me know if it sucks. Also let me know if it rocks, because I like that feeling especially. *grin* 

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX. That honor goes to the geniuses at Square. I do own this here story, though, since I'm the one who wrote it. =^_^=

* * *

The Final Summoning,

Chapter 1: Farewell

"Hey, Braska! The party's starting soon. What are you waiting for?"

I looked over my shoulder, amused. My guardians, Jecht and Auron, were waiting a short distance away. Jecht was bouncing his blitzball off his knee, looking distinctly impatient. Auron frowned at him over his glasses.

"He's going to talk to his daughter first," he said sternly. "Let him be."

"Oh." Jecht scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "Eh…sorry. I'll wait over here, okay?"

He sprinted down the trail, spinning his blitzball on his middle finger and tossing friendly insults back at Auron. The swordsman peered at me, a slight frown on his face.

"Are you sure you want to bring him along?"

"I have to, don't I? It would be rude to uninvite him." Besides, I had told Jecht I would help him find his way home. Auron was aware of that, so he didn't argue. He simply sighed and followed Jecht down the trail, muttering something about obnoxious drunks and pilgrimages and how the two didn't mix.

Smiling to myself, I walked toward the beach. Yuna was crouching near the water, trying to arrange a pile of sand into a sand castle, but with little success. Her friends Lulu and Wakka sat nearby, Lulu frowning thoughtfully, Wakka tossing a blitzball up and down in the air.

"It's too watery," Wakka was saying. "Maybe you can do some kind of . . . un-Water spell or something, Lu, ya?"

"Well, no . . . but I can do Fire." Lulu stood up and stretched her hand out toward the lump of mud. "Burn—"

"Lulu, no!" Yuna quickly clapped her hand over Lulu's mouth. "Remember this morning in class? You set Lord Ohalland's statue on fire!"

I laughed out loud, and the three children looked up, startled. Yuna ran up to me and threw her arms around my waist, while Lulu and Wakka brushed themselves off and tried to look dignified.

"Come on, Wakka," Lulu said, grabbing Wakka by the arm. "I think he wants to talk to Yuna _alone._"

"Ow—not so tight, Lu!" He waved with his free arm while Lulu pulled him back toward the village. "Good luck on your pilgrimage! See you soon, ya?"

I waved back, then looked down at Yuna. Her mismatched eyes were wide with sudden anxiety.

"I guess you're leaving then?" she said softly.

"Yes," I replied, nodding. "Our ship leaves in the morning."

"Oh." She hopped up and down on her toes, her eyes even wider than before. "Daddy, are you sure you don't need another guardian? I'm not very good at fighting, but I'm learning white magic in school—I could heal you and Sir Jecht and Sir Auron when you get hurt and—"

"Yuna," I said gently, "there's nothing I'd like more than to take you with me, but this is a very dangerous trip. There are lots of fiends roaming around, and Sin could attack at any time, and Yuna, I don't want you to get hurt. We talked about that, remember?"

"Yes . . ." She rested her head on my belly for a moment; then she looked back up at me. "Then . . . when you come home, will you teach me to be a summoner?"

"I'd be glad to—" I stopped as her request sank in. "You want to become a summoner?"

Yuna nodded almost casually. "I want to be able to protect Spira, too. I mean, I know you can defeat Sin and bring the Calm and all that, but won't they still need summoners to do sendings and things like that?"

"Of course."

"Besides, we could always use an extra summoner, right?" She gave a me a big, mischievous grin. "You know, _just in case._"

Laughing, I reached down and tickled her on the ribs. She squealed and wiggled out of my grip. "Daddy, I'm serious! When you come back, will you teach me?"

I looked into her eyes. She was so young, so innocent . . . She was only seven years old. She had known only the Calm. She knew that the summoners were the ones who defeated Sin and allowed the people of Spira to live in peace, but she didn't know the whole truth, not yet. She didn't know that the summoners gave their lives to bring that peace. She didn't know that the Final Summoning would end my life. I was painfully aware that this was the last time my daughter and I would be together in this world, but how could I tell her that? How could I tell her that the pilgrimage was my death sentence, the Final Summoning would be my executioner—assuming I even made it that far?

I couldn't tell her that. She needed to believe that her daddy would bring the Calm and return home. She needed to _hope._ So I looked into her eyes and said simply, "I'll try."

Yuna's eyes narrowed slightly, as if she knew there was something I wasn't telling her. For one heart-stopping moment I thought she was going to ask what I was hiding, but to my relief, she smiled brightly and said, "Thank you, Daddy! I promise I'll be a good student."

"Of course you will," I said softly as she scampered off toward the village. "Of course you will."

* * * * 

That night, the people of Besaid held an impromptu party to celebrate my becoming a summoner. I joked to Auron and Jecht that I wasn't sure whether I should be flattered or frightened—a party to wish me well on a journey that would cost me my life!

"You're bringing them hope," Auron explained philosophically. "They're celebrating their renewed hope, not your death."

Jecht was more practical.

"Hey, it's a party!" he shouted joyously as he jogged toward the center of town. "Live it up, boys!"

And so we went to the party in fairly good spirits. The entire populace had shown up, many bearing gifts; before long, we were loaded with potions, a bit of spending money, and other supplies. By nightfall, our bellies were full (the innkeeper was an excellent cook) and our hearts were filled with the villagers' well-wishes. As a thank-you, I decided to provide a bit of entertainment.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Jecht bellowed, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "here for your viewing pleasure, Summoner Braska, performing his, uh . . . summoning thing! Braska, come on up!"

An expectant silence fell over the crowd as I stepped into a large open space near the fire. I took a deep breath and faced my audience, gripping my staff firmly in my hands.

"I'm not terribly good at speeches," I began, "but I want to thank all of you for being here tonight. I won't let you down—Yevon willing, I will defeat Sin and bring the Calm once again. I will do everything I can to bring peace to Spira." I paused, cleared my throat. _I hate speeches._ "For now, as a token of my thanks, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mine, the aeon Valefor."

I raised my staff vertically in front of my face, my head bowed, my eyes closed in concentration. I focused on the new bond between the aeon and myself, calling silently to the aeon. _Valefor . . ._

And a soft voice in my head said, _I'm coming._

Satisfied, I opened my eyes and lifted the staff over my head. A series of glyphs glowed on the ground, encircling me, and the dark sky was now filled with a thick cover of wispy clouds. Then there was a great swooshing of wings, and a rainbow of colors dropped out of the sky, landing gracefully beside me.

I reached out to stroke the great bird's neck. The feathers were soft and silky, the eyes fearsome yet gentle. I motioned to Yuna, whose eyes were round and gleaming with nervous excitement.

"You can touch him," I said quietly. "He won't hurt you."

Slowly and cautiously, Yuna stepped forward and rested her hand next to mine. Valefor nipped playfully at her hair, and she buried her face in the crook of his wings. The villagers applauded softly, and Yuna hurried back to her spot between Lulu and Wakka, grinning ear to ear. I looked back at Valefor, who was waiting patiently for my next command.

__

Thank you. You may go now. And with a mighty _swoosh_, the aeon leaped back into the clouds and disappeared.

The villagers applauded again, more vigorously now. I thanked them once again, and as the crowd started to disperse, I caught up with my daughter again.

"Oh, Daddy," she exclaimed, "that was amazing! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," I replied with a smile. "I have one more thing for you, too."

"What is it?"

I pulled the box out of my pouch and handed it to her. She opened it carefully, gasping when she saw the delicate silver pendant inside.

"It was your mother's. I think it's time for you to have it." I took the pendant out of the box and motioned for her to turn around so I could put it around her neck. She fingered it gently for a moment; then she threw her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"I'll miss you, Daddy," she whispered.

"I'll miss you, too." I returned the embrace, gave her a kiss on the head. "Run along, now. It's late, and you've got school tomorrow."

She kissed me on the cheek and raced back toward the temple. I took a deep breath, fighting to hold back tears. _It's not too late,_ I told myself. _You can change your mind, you can stay here, no one will think the less of you—_

"Lord Braska," Auron's voice came from behind me.

"Yes, Auron?"

"Our things are already on the ship. The captain said we could go ahead and board whenever we're ready."

I nodded. Yes, that was a good idea. That way I would be gone before she woke up, and we wouldn't have to face another goodbye. I turned to Auron and nodded once.

"That's an excellent idea. Let's go."

@}------

* * *

I actually cried when I wrote this. *wipes away tears* The next chapter won't be nearly as sad, I promise—because I just can't handle more of that! *runs away with Kleenex in hand*

I hope Braska's not too far out of character—it's been a long time since I've actually played the game, heh. Please R&R, this is my first attempt at a long story, and I intend to finish it! Also, let me know if the guys start sounding too girly. I'm not quite used to writing men, as I'm a girl in real life. ^_^ '


	2. Kilika

Standard disclaimers apply.

We now return to our regular fanfic programming.

* * *

The Final Summoning

Chapter 2: Kilika

I stood on the deck of the S.S. Liki, watching the eastern horizon. The sun had finally risen, filling the clear sky with splashes of orange, red, and pink. Besaid was out of sight now, but the island of Kilika was just becoming visible, a long dark blur between the sky and the sea. Every once in a while, I would see a marine animal leap out of the water as if in greeting. 

I found myself smiling in spite of my mixed emotions. It was a beautiful morning; the sea was calm, the air was warm, and I hadn't suffered one bout of motion sickness. Besides, I told myself, going on the pilgrimage did have one very nice fringe benefit: this was the first time I'd ever had the chance to travel the world. It would also be my last, but I tried not to dwell on that fact. _Join Yevon, see the world . . ._

"Hey, Braska, heads up!"

Thinking I was being attacked by a fiend, I whirled around, swinging my staff in front of me. Instead of connecting with a fiend, though, the staff hit Jecht's blitzball, which bounced wildly off to my left. Jecht snared the runaway ball with his foot, looked at me in surprise – and erupted in laughter.

"Slick moves, Braska!" he chortled. "You play much blitzball?"

"I played some when I was a child, but I'm what you'd call a non-athlete."

Jecht suddenly looked smug. "Yeah, I kind of figured."

"How?"

"Everything about you, man! Muscle, for example. You don't have any." He flexed his arm, revealing an impressive set of biceps. "Are all you summoner types this . . . _wimpy_?

"Yes, we're not known for our great strength."

"Hmph. Well, don't worry – we'll take care of that." He clapped me on the back, nearly knocking me overboard. "So. What do you people do on these trips?"

"The summoner and his guardians journey to each of Spira's sacred sites – the temples – and the summoner, after passing through the Cloister of Trials, enters the Chamber of the Fayth to pray and receive the aeon."

"What, you go in and say, 'I want your aeon,' and they say just say okay?" Jecht grunted. "Sounds easy enough. So why'd it take you three hours to pick up that one in Besaid?"

"The fayth must judge the summoner's character first – make sure his intentions are pure. If they have any doubts, they will refuse to grant the summoner their powers. They need assurance that they won't be used for evil." I smiled slightly. "They're especially particular with new summoners, those who have never bonded with an aeon."

Jecht looked ready to laugh again. "You mean, you spent three hours bonding with a _statue_?"

"No, not the statue. The spirit inside it. You see, Jecht, the fayth –"

__

"SIN!"

I spun around to look out over the ocean. I spotted it immediately: an ugly, shapeless mass, much larger than I had expected, heading directly toward the ship.

"Lord Braska!" Auron's voice came from behind me. "You should go below. You'll be safer."

I shook my head, tightening my grip on my staff. "I'm staying up here in case anyone gets injured. Also, we may need Valefor."

Auron nodded once, then turned to Jecht. Before he could say anything, a huge wave rocked the ship, sending everyone sprawling across the deck. While Auron helped me to my feet, Jecht raced across the deck, right toward Sin.

"How'd you like a blitzball up your – WHOA!"

A small army of Sinscales had landed on the deck, nearly surrounding Jecht. He kicked a few overboard before launching his blitzball at Sin. Picking up his cue, I began knocking Sinscales into the water with my staff, while Auron and Jecht concentrated on Sin itself. Jecht scored a good shot with his ball, and Sin thrashed about in the water, sending another mighty wave across the ship's bow. This time several people went overboard, including Jecht. Auron dove toward him, catching him by the wrist. The remaining ship's crew closed in to fight in my guardians' place.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Move aside – I'm going to summon!"

The crewmen quickly moved a safe distance away. I lowered my staff in front of my face, then raised it and shouted, "Valefor!"

The great bird immediately descended from the heavens. I pointed my staff toward Sin, and Valefor immediately swooped in to attack. With Valefor's assistance, the battle ended quickly; soon Sin sank back into the waters and left the area. I dismissed the aeon and sank to the deck, exhausted. Several well-meaning crewmen rushed to my aid.

"Lord Summoner, are you ill?" one of them asked anxiously.

"Just tired. My guardians – your men –"

"Your guardians are safe, Lord Summoner. They're helping our crew back to the ship, sir, a little wet but all alive and well."

"That's excellent news," I replied, right before I passed out.

* * * *

When I woke up, I was lying in a soft, warm bed, a stark contrast to the cabin Auron, Jecht, and I had shared on the S.S. Liki. I tried to remember where I was and exactly how I'd gotten there, but I drew a blank. Slightly panicked, but not wanting to show it, I sat up and called out to the nearest passerby.

"Excuse me, miss . . . could you tell me where I am?"

"You're in Kilika, Lord Summoner." The lady gave me a pleasant smile, reminding me of Yuna. "You were unconscious, so your guardians brought you straight to the inn. Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better, thank you."

She smiled again. "Glad to hear it. Please, stay and rest as long as you like."

"Thank you. Oh, miss . . . "

"Yes, Lord Summoner?"

"Are your people in need of my, ah . . . services?"

"No, no. You and your guardians beat Sin off before it had a chance to attack Kilika."

I nodded in acknowledgment, and she continued down the hallway. I stood up, took a long gulp of water from a jug next to the table, and headed outside. Auron was leaning against the wall, drinking from the jug he always carried with him. Seeing me, he stood up straight and returned the jug to its spot on his belt.

"Ah, Lord Braska," he greeted me. "Are you well?"

"I am, and you can call me Braska."

His eyes crinkled slightly: was he making fun of me? "Very well . . . Braska."

"Did I miss anything?"

"There was a large Sinspawn near the temple. Jecht and I took the liberty of destroying it without you." His eyes crinkled again: he was definitely making fun of me. "I hope you don't mind."

"Absolutely not," I replied mildly. "I avoid Sinspawn every chance I get. Where's Jecht?"

"He was complaining that he was bored and that our supplies were running low, so I sent him to get more."

As if on cue, Jecht came jogging down the wooden walkway, carrying my pouch. "I don't know how, but somehow everything fits in here. More Spiran magic, I suppose." He tossed me the bag, grinning broadly when I caught it.

"Thank you, Jecht." I pointed up toward the temple. "Let's go."

* * * *

An hour later, I stood in the Chamber of the Fayth, perspiring profusely; the warm atmosphere, combined with the challenge of the temple's Cloister of Trials, had taken a toll on all of us.

I stepped up to the fayth-statue and knelt to pray, my eyes closed, struggling to ignore the stifling heat and clear my consciousness. At last, the fayth appeared, the shining, translucent ghost of a man not much older than myself.

You are Summoner Braska.

"Yes."

Make your request, Summoner.

"I come to receive the power of your aeon, that I may defeat Sin and bring the Calm once again."

The fayth stepped closer to me, studying me intensely. I lowered my head, unnerved at the thought of meeting the spirit's gaze.

You have many doubts, many fears, the fayth noted accurately. You are a competent summoner; you have already bonded with an aeon – yet you have an intense fear of failing the pilgrimage. Why is this?

"I . . . I fear for my daughter. I fear what may happen to her if Sin is not stopped. I want her to grow up in a world without Sin, without sorrow." I closed my eyes again, holding back the tears that threatened to spill forth. "I don't want her to be afraid."

A long pause followed. The doubts and fears the fayth had mentioned immediately rushed through my mind: He's not accepting me. I've failed. The pilgrimage is over . . . Spira is doomed . . . Then, finally, the fayth spoke.

Many people allow their doubts to paralyze them. They allow themselves to drown in their fears and sorrows rather than face them directly. The fayth paused again, briefly this time. You have great determination, Summoner Braska. You have the courage to face your fears, to allow them to motivate you without haunting you. I grant you the power of Ifrit.

The fayth rested his almost-solid hands on my chest. A sudden burning sensation flared through my body, and I fell to the floor, barely holding on to consciousness. I heard Ifrit's voice whispering in my brain.

Your pilgrimage has only just begun, Summoner Braska. I wish you success.

I rose on shaky legs and stumbled out of the chamber. I nearly collapsed again, but Auron caught me.

"Whoa," Jecht observed. "You look bad, man."

Auron frowned at him, then turned his attention to me. "Perhaps we should rest again before we leave."

I shook my head. "Our time is limited. Let us proceed to Luca."

@}--- ---

* * *

WHEW! That was long. *wipes sweat from brow* Maybe now I can get to bed at a decent hour, except I really can't, since it's 11:30 p.m. now. Curse daylight savings time.

I just couldn't resist the opportunity to speculate on what goes on behind those closed doors, when it's just the summoner and the fayth. I probably won't include those little chats for every temple, unless you the readers ask me to. I do play for my public. *grins* 

Yunalesca78


	3. A Sword for Jecht

Insert standard disclaimers here, and then apply them to every chapter from here on out so I don't have to keep writing it, ya? ;-)

It's finally here! It's also the much revised shorter version. . .my disk went wacko and took this whole chapter with it. *sighs* Ah, well, maybe it's for the best. This chapter was getting WAY long.

* * *

The Final Summoning,

Chapter 3: A Sword for Jecht

"Wow."

I couldn't help but smile. We had just arrived in Luca, and Jecht was standing in the middle of the dock, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. He clearly hadn't expected Luca to be as large as it was.

"The great Jecht, rendered speechless?" I teased him. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't expecting this. . .what's the name of this town?"

"Luca."

"Yeah, Luca. Didn't think it was gonna be this big, you know, you guys being fond of little villages and all."

"It's not that we're so fond of them, my friend." I spread my hands out to my sides, indicating the city around us. "Given time, I truly think Spira would have more great cities like this. But where large numbers of people gather, Sin attacks, and we lose what we've built."

"Then how did Luca get so big?"

"Blitzball." I pointed my staff toward the blitzball stadium. "Blitzball brings joy to the people of Spira. It gives us something to enjoy, something to think about besides what Sin is doing to our world." I turned to face Jecht again. "The Crusaders defend Luca with all their might, and the city has been able to grow because of it."

"Blitzball," Jecht mused. "Huh."

"Indeed." Auron pushed himself away from the wall he'd been leaning against and jerked his head toward the center of town. "I believe we have an errand to run."

"Oh, yes," I recalled. "Lead the way, old friend."

"Where are we going?" Jecht asked, racing after Auron.

"To the marketplace," Auron replied over his shoulder. "We're going to buy you a sword."

"WHAT?" Jecht's shout attracted scathing frowns from several passersby. "Forget it, man! I'm stickin' with my blitzball. It's safe."

"It's too safe. It hardly damages fiends."

"Oh, so you wanna give me a sword." Jecht snorted. "Well, I can give you a whole lot of reasons not to give me a sword, you freak. Like, oh, you'll be springin' me from jail again. . .Braska'll be usin' his magic stuff to put my body parts back on. . .or usin' those creepy phoenix things on me after I chop off my own freakin' HEAD!"

Auron looked at him steadily. "Are you finished?"

"No, I'm not finished! I – AAARRGH!"

Auron had grabbed the blitzer by the scruff of the neck and was literally dragging him over to the weapons booth. I followed, barely containing my laughter.

"How may I help you – ah, Lord Summoner!" The weapons merchant bowed deeply and performed the prayer of Yevon. I returned the gesture, privately amused by the man's formality. Meanwhile, Auron shoved Jecht forward.

"This man needs a sword," he stated, ignoring the look Jecht was giving him.

"You've come to the right place, Sir Guardian!" The merchant positioned himself behind the table that held his wares. "What do you have in mind?"

Auron peered at Jecht over his glasses. The blitzer stared back, nonplussed. After a moment, Auron lifted a long, slender blade off the table and presented it hilt-first to Jecht, who took the sword and eyed it suspiciously.

"Hold it upright, like this." Auron unsheathed his massive sword, easily maneuvering it into an upright position, ready for attack. Jecht imitated the movement easily enough, and Auron ordered him to attack.

"Okay – wait, attack?!"

"Attack me," Auron repeated patiently. "You won't be able to hit me."

"Oh, YEAH?"

Jecht lifted the blade over his head and charged forward. Auron deflected him easily; his new student bounced several feet backward, landing flat on his back with both feet waving gracelessly in the air. Auron picked up the sword and looked at me, his expression clearly saying, _Yevon help me._

"Not that one," I offered helpfully.

"No. Not that one." Auron exchanged the sword for one which was slightly shorter, but twice as wide, and clearly much heavier. Jecht's eyes rounded when he saw it.

"Oh, h*ll."

"The other one was too light. You're muscular. You need a muscular man's blade."

"Thanks. . .I think." Jecht took the sword and nearly fell over. "Holy crap."

Auron simply motioned Jecht to attack. With a sigh, Jecht obeyed. Of course, he was knocked down again, this time in an even more amusing manner: Auron deflected the blade to the side, and Jecht went with it, landing on his belly in the middle of the marketplace. "D*mn it!"

"You should let go of the sword when that happens." Auron turned to the weapons merchant again. "Not that one, either."

I spent the next half hour watching, along with a steadily growing crowd of onlookers, as Jecht tried several other blades, with varying degrees of success. I was just beginning to wonder if this was really such a good idea, when Auron handed Jecht the most vicious-looking blade I had ever seen. It was a longsword of an unusual variety, fairly wide, one edge sharpened to lethal perfection. The other edge sported a curving hook, obviously meant for gutting fiends. Jecht's eyes widened when he saw it.

"You. . .can't be serious."

"It fits your technique." Auron stepped back, motioning the blitzer to attack. "Humor me."

"Okay. . ."

Taking a deep breath, Jecht lifted the weapon and rushed Auron, who dodged this time instead of blocking. With a surprised grunt, Jecht let the sword complete its arc, raising it over his head and going in for another try. Auron blocked; then, with a single swift movement, dislodged the sword from Jecht's grip.

"Enough." He turned to the merchant. "How much?"

"Six hundred gil, Sir Guardian."

Jecht let out an ungentlemanly snort. "Sounds awfully steep for all this. . .public humiliation."

"Think of it as entertaining the masses," I offered.

"What, were we that amusing to watch?"

"You were a sight to behold."

Jecht snorted again. "I'd like to see _you_ try, pretty boy."

"I did try, many times, in my youth. Unfortunately, as I've told you, I'm not the athletic type." I smiled broadly. "You, however, _are_ the athletic type."

"Right. Lucky me." He eyed the sword in its scabbard, which he had finally managed to secure on his body. "Now, you said there's blitzball here, right?"

"That's right."

"So. . .are we gonna watch a game, or what?"

"As a matter of fact, we are. The season opener takes place soon, and we've got excellent seats."

"How excellent?"

"VIP section." I smiled pleasantly at the surprised (and pleased) expression on Jecht's face. "You'll find that traveling with a summoner has many advantages. Now, let's go find our seats, shall we?"

As always, Auron went a few paces ahead, surveying the area for threats. Jecht trotted along beside me, nearly tripping over his new weapon.

"So, what's the catch?" he inquired. "I mean, VIP seats are expensive, or at least they are in Zanarkand. So there's gotta be some kind of catch, even for a summoner, right?"

"A small one," I replied. "We'll be sitting with the maesters."

"What's a maester?"

"They're the high priests of Yevon," Auron answered from in front of us. Shooting a threatening glare over his shoulder, he added, "I would advise you to show them the greatest respect."

"Sure thing…ya friggin' stiff."

* * * *

The stadium was already half full when we arrived, with more people streaming in from every entrance. As we headed toward our seats, giant jets of water sprayed up from ground level, filling the magically contained blitz pool. Jecht watched in open-mouthed amazement as the water level slowly rose, forming a perfect sphere of water, despite the fact that there seemed to be nothing holding it together.

"I don't see any…uh, what's holding that water in?"

"Magic, of course." I chuckled softly. "We may not have the sophisticated machina your Zanarkand has, but we've adapted fairly well."

"Guess so."

Auron stopped and jerked his head to the side, indicating that he had located our seats at last. Not that this was a difficult task; the maesters had already arrived, and they stood out quite plainly. I went to greet them, my two guardians following closely behind.

"Grand Maester Mika," I said, performing the Yevon prayer.

"Ah, Braska!" Mika returned the greeting, smiling warmly. "Or should I say, Summoner Braska. How goes your pilgrimage?"

"Quite well, thank you. I've already acquired two aeons, Valefor and Ifrit."

"Good, very good." Mika inclined his head respectfully; then he turned his attention to Jecht and Auron. "Ah…I don't believe I've met your guardians…"

A rather long round of introductions followed. I introduced Jecht and Auron, the latter thumping the former in the back of the head to remind him of protocol. For Jecht's benefit, I then introduced the maesters: Grand Maester Mika, the head of the entire Yevon faith; Maester Kinoc, representing Spira's human population; Kelk Ronso, whose people served as guardians of Mt. Gagazet; and, to my delighted surprise, Jyscal Guado. The Guado had only recently turned to Yevon, and Jyscal had been rather busy familiarizing Yevon's newest followers with the teachings. I was further surprised when Jyscal introduced the pale, blue-haired boy sitting beside him as his son, Seymour.

"Lord Summoner," the boy murmured, gracefully performing the prayer. I inclined my head, finding it difficult to take my eyes of Seymour's face.

"His mother was human," Jyscal said softly, so that only I could hear. 

__

Ah, I thought. That explained his unique appearance. With a slight bow, I said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, young Seymour."

Seymour smiled slightly -- in greeting or in amusement, I couldn't tell. Then he turned his gaze back to the sphere, his face completely unreadable.

"Weird kid," Jecht muttered under his breath, earning himself a strong rebuke from Auron. I turned around, thinking I might need to separate the two of them for my own sanity, when I noticed dark, heavy objects falling from the sky. I looked up into the sky, and my blood turned cold. _No, not today…not here…_but a shout from nearby confirmed my fears.

__

"Sin!!"

* * *

WHEW! 'Bout freaking time I finished that chapter. It was almost finished when my disk went screwy…stupid machina.

Yes, this was my comic relief chapter. I couldn't resist: I had this image of Auron teaching Jecht to use a sword, and it was too funny to leave out. By the way, the sword I described, the one Jecht finally bought, is Tidus' longsword from the beginning of the game. Cool, eh?

Thanks to Noacat, Breea, Pierson, and The Angel of the Lion for your kind reviews! *hugs reviewers* Y'all keep reviewing--keep me on track, ya? ^_^


	4. The Sending

The Final Summoning,

Chapter 4: The Sending

"I believe it's time to test my aeons' strength," I remarked.

"Better be a mighty tough aeon," Jecht observed, pointing toward the horizon. "Baby's getting' awful big."

I looked where Jecht was pointing. Sin loomed to the north, a dark, toxic blotch on an otherwise picturesque landscape. The monster had indeed grown; it was half again as large as it was the day we'd fought it on the seas. The sight was both awesome and terrifying, but I had to remain steady for the Crusaders, and for my guardians. So, with much more calm than I actually felt, I said, "Sir Auron, Sir Jecht, we have quite a job to do. Let's get started, shall we?"

We pushed our way through the mass of humanity in the stadium, Jecht's muscular bulk and boisterous personality easily parting the crowd. Once outside, we raced up the path to the Mi'ihen Highroad. To my amazement, Maester Jyscal's son was already present and clearly prepared to do battle.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" Jecht demanded.

"I am here to fight Sin." He bowed deeply, his gaze focused directly on me. "I will assist you, if I may."

"You may not," Auron responded curtly. "It is too dangerous. Return to the stadium."

"I will take care of the fiends and Sinscales so that you may focus on Sin," he said, pointedly ignoring the swordsman. Then, before any of us could respond, he turned and headed for a relatively clear spot nearby, blasting the occasional Sinscale with bursts of mid-level magic. Shaking my head, I began to scan for a spot of my own. I needed a large space to summon this aeon.

"He dissed you," Jecht chortled gleefully to Auron, "he _totally_ dissed you, man."

Auron smacked him audibly on the back of the head. "Close your mouth, drunkard, and focus on the battle."

Tuning the conversation out, I stepped into a small clearing and spun my staff directly in front of me several times, stopping when the tip pointed straight down. A ball of flame dropped to the ground, igniting a fiery circle around me. The earth rumbled ominously, and I hopped a few feet to the side. Not a second too soon, either; the aeon Ifrit burst through the ground, right where I had been standing.

__

What is your wish, my swift-footed summoner?

I pointed my staff toward Sin. "Hellfire!"

__

I thought you'd never ask. Step aside; I'd hate to see you singed.

I took a few steps back as Ifrit unleashed a miniature earthquake directly beneath Sin. Huge flaming boulders assaulted the creature as the earth exploded spectacularly. Sin roared deafeningly, thrashing about in pain, and Ifrit took the opportunity to follow up with his Meteor Strike attack. With something resembling glee, Ifrit launched a huge flaming boulder right into Sin's face.

We now had Sin's undivided attention, which was both good and bad. Good, because it gave the bedraggled Crusaders a few precious moments to regroup. Bad, because Sin was thoroughly incensed, and Ifrit didn't have the time he needed to build up another attack. Taking advantage of the situation, Sin drew back its arm and swept it viciously across the landscape.

"Shield!" I shouted—too late, just a fraction of a second too late. Ifrit stepped in front of me, attempting to block me from Sin's attack while simultaneously casting Protect on himself. The powerful attack broke right through Ifrit's hastily erected shield, and I felt a crushing pain in my ribs as the aeon absorbed the full impact of the blow.

I dismissed Ifrit and staggered backward, expecting to be crushed like a Bite Bug in Sin's deadly grip. Instead, the creature turned away, lumbering off to Yevon only knew where. I watched it go, uncertain as to whether I should be relieved about chasing it off, or bothered about not being able to finish it off right now. Then a familiar, gravelly voice shouted near my ear, clearing the confusion.

"Holy hell, look at the size of that thing!"

Blinking rapidly, I peered to the south. At the end of the oldroad stood Seymour, surrounded by fallen fiends and glowing pyreflies; and beside him stood the most frightening aeon I have ever seen. It was monstrous, at least four times Seymour's height, wrapped in blue panels that most closely resembled a Sinscale's wings. Its arms were bound by heavy chains, the visible portions of its flesh swathed in filthy bandages. My guardian and I watched in horrified fascination as the aeon plunged down into the ground, its fangs bared in a silent scream.

Someone's hand touched me on the shoulder, causing me to jump backward. To my relief, it was only Auron, who looked extremely bothered.

"What sort of aeon was that?" he asked, frowning in Seymour's direction.

"I have no idea…but I intend to find out."

I made my way down the hill, my aching ribs forgotten. Maester Jyscal and Seymour were standing almost toe to toe, the former clearly giving his son a rather severe scolding. The two of them turned as we approached.

"Ah, Lord Braska," the maester greeted me apologetically. "I hope my son didn't cause you too much trouble."

"You kiddin' me?" Jecht interrupted. "Aeon like that—"

I shook my head, silencing him. To Jyscal I said, "Quite the contrary, Maester, but there is one thing I would like to know." I turned my attention to Seymour. "That aeon you summoned—what was that?"

"The Dark Aeon," he replied simply. "I call her Anima."

With that, Seymour bowed and headed back toward Luca. Jyscal excused himself and followed his son. As I watched him, I couldn't help but think that Jecht was right. Seymour was a very odd young man…

"Lord Summoner, may I ask a favor of you?"

I pulled myself out of my reverie and focused on the very nervous young man who had addressed me. He was a freshly minted Crusader, perhaps eighteen years old, far too young to have to face Sin like this. So young, and yet so old…our eternal struggle with Sin had aged us all, it seemed.

"Of course," I said, forcing a smile. "How may I help you?"

"Well, there's just so many—I mean, we've lost a lot of people, Lord Summoner, and you're the only summoner here—well, Maester Jyscal's son, but he's a little different, so I was wondering—I mean, my commander was wondering—"

I rested my hand on the young Crusader's shoulder. "I would be honored to perform the sending."

"Thank you, Lord Summoner." The Crusader performed the prayer, looking relieved. "I'll tell the others."

Once the young man was out of earshot, Auron turned to study me, concern showing on his features. Quietly, he asked me, "Are you injured, my lord? You appear to be in pain."

"Ah, he's fine," Jecht cut in. "He's wussin' a little because Sin laid the smackdown on his aeon, that's all."

Auron glared at him, his hand moving to the hilt of his enormous sword. "Hold your tongue, you fool, or I will remove it."

"Actually," I interrupted, "that summarizes the situation quite nicely." I removed my helm—the universal gesture of respect for the dead—and handed it to a surprised Jecht. "Please excuse me."

* * * *

I walked down to the bottom of the hill, where the pyreflies swarmed the thickest. There were more casualties, I knew, but the distance wasn't great enough to matter. Today, right now, they would all rest on the Farplane.

Slowly, reverently, I raised my staff and began the dance of the sending. Somewhere behind me, someone started to sing the Hymn of the Fayth.

__

Ieyui…nobomeno…

The pyreflies rose reluctantly, the souls of the dead slowly freeing themselves from the confines of their fleshly bodies. I lowered my arm slightly, allowing the tip of my staff to brush the ground; then I rose up on my toes and spun the staff high overhead.

__

Renmiri…yojuyogo…

The pyreflies were gathering around me now; all they needed was a gentle nudge to guide them to the afterlife. I continued the dance, my staff and my feet moving in ever more intricate patterns as the disembodied souls let go of their attachment to this world. In the background, the Hymn swelled to its climax. It was time to release them.

__

Hasatekanae…kutamae…

I ended the dance and lifted my staff high in the air, releasing the departed to the Farplane. The cloud of pyreflies shimmered and swirld away, disappearing from this plane as the last strains of the Hymn faded slowly away. I lowered my head and leaned against the staff, suddenly exhausted, and aware of the tears flowing freely down my face. My first sending, and probably not my last.

"It's almost over," I murmured into the air. "I will defeat Sin. I will bring the Calm once again. I will…I promise…"

And with that, I slipped into a dead faint.

* * *

A/N: Aerith pointed out a continuity error regarding Yuna and Braska's place of origin—it's Bevelle, not Besaid. I probably won't rewrite, being three chapters in (four now), but I will fix it, don't worry. Look for the correction in the next chapter or so.

The entity that is Yunalesca78 thrives on reviews. Huggles to Noacat, Lobo Kendo, The Angel of the Lion, Lia Strife, and Aerith! No friggin' stiffs, they. ^_~


	5. Meeting Ixion

I still don't own FFX, or any FF for that matter. Narf.

* * *

The Final Summoning,

Chapter 5: Meeting Ixion

"Oops."

Auron stood up and brushed the dust off his red jacket, glaring menacingly at Jecht. "That's all you have to say? 'Oops'?"

"Hey, what are ya yellin' at me for? I'm not the one who pushed us off that cliff!"

"If you'd been able to distinguish that chocobo eater from a common _boulder,_ perhaps we wouldn't have been pushed off the cliff."

I couldn't restrain my laughter, even though the situation wasn't particularly humorous. We'd been battling a chocobo eater, a rocklike fiend with long, powerful arms. The fiend would frequently charge forward and use those arms to push us closer to the edge of the cliff, at which point we had to damage it severely enough to push it back toward the road. We had managed to knock the chocobo onto its back, and it was Jecht's turn to strike; all he had to do was land one solid blow, and the chocobo eater would have been destroyed. Unfortunately, Jecht was quite inebriated at the time; and instead of attacking the fiend, he struck a nearby boulder. This gave the fiend time to recover, charge forward…and knock us off the cliff.

I straightened my robes, still chuckling to myself. Auron and Jecht were both staring at me, nonplussed.

"What's so funny?" Jecht demanded.

"You." Unable to resist the opportunity for teasing, I added, "Jecht, from now on, we're going to exercise _extreme_ caution any time you make statements such as, 'It's the right thing to do.'"

"Or any time he's intoxicated," Auron added in a dark tone.

"Hey-hey-hey!" Jecht jabbed his finger into Auron's chest, drawing a dangerous look from the warrior monk. "You got some nerve, boy, lecturin' me about my drinkin' habits when you got that big ol' jug of _mystery fluid_ danglin' from your hip!"

"Gentlemen," I interjected quickly, hiding a smile, "pardon my interruption, but we do have a pilgrimage to continue."

The two guardians eyed each other warily for a moment longer. Jecht backed down first, muttering incoherently to himself as he walked a few yards ahead. Auron dropped back to walk beside me.

"Are you injured?"

"Minor bumps and bruises," I assured him.

"Good." He looked at Jecht, shaking his head slightly. "That fool will lead us all to a premature death."

"I'm not so certain about that. We seem to attract opportunities for premature death quite nicely on our own. Sin, that Sinspawn you and Jecht found near the temple in Kilika, more Sin…" I paused and cast a Cure spell, healing a large bump on Auron's forehead. "Tell me, Auron, how goes Jecht's training?"

"He is surprisingly talented. He has great speed and agility, and he learns quickly when he's sober." Auron sighed. "Unfortunately, he is rarely sober. He has no self-control, no discipline…it's harming him in many ways."

"Ah," I said, nodding. "I see."

"You see what, my lord?"

__

I see that you're concerned about him, I thought--not that he would admit it, of course. I took a different tack.

"When you were in training as a warrior monk, you developed many character traits--self-control, restraint, discipline, am I correct?" Auron inclined his head in agreement, and I continued. "Then you, I believe, are responsible for teaching those same lessons to your student."

"I will do my best," Auron responded, "but I cannot teach him everything. There simply isn't time."

"Oh, I'm not terribly concerned. I trust your judgment." I gave him my most charming smile and walked on ahead, leaving one slightly disgruntled guardian in my wake.

* * * *

We arrived at Djose Temple the next afternoon. After sending Auron to the inn for supplies, I turned to Jecht, who was suspiciously eyeing the huge boulders which circled the temple.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said quietly.

"It'd be more beautiful if you could tell me what's holdin' those boulders up."

"Quite frankly, the magic that must be involved in holding that temple together makes my head hurt," I admitted with a rueful smile. "All I know is that the boulders close around the temple when a summoner is inside the Cloister. They're open, so we can go inside whenever we're ready."

"Damn," Jecht said, clearly disappointed. "Well, I guess we better get on in there so you can get your aeon thing. Which one is it, anyway?"

"Ixion, the guardian of lightning."

"Lightning," Jecht mused, looking at the bolts of electricity flickering around the temple. Then he asked, smirking, "I guess you wouldn't wanna summon him during a thunderstorm, then, would ya?"

I blinked, surprised. "You know, Jecht, I really never thought about that."

Just then, Auron stepped out of the inn, carrying a shoulder bag full of potions and other useful items. He looked at me, his brow raised questioningly. I nodded once, and the three of us entered the temple.

Each temple of Yevon is different from the others; each has its own unique appearance and atmosphere. The temple in Besaid is built of smooth stone, cool and earthy inside, and it is known to contain one of the less strenuous Trials--part of the reason I chose to begin my pilgrimage there, rather than in Bevelle. Kilika's temple is hot and stuffy, horribly uncomfortable after an hour or so, yet completely appropriate for its tropical location and the fiery aeon it houses. Each temple is unique, perfectly suitable for its location and its resident aeon.

This temple, I quickly decided, was the most intriguing of the three. Its interior was dark and mysterious; the cool, dry air tingled with electricity. The inky darkness was penetrated only by glowing spheres and long, thin trails of bluish light. I inhaled deeply, my lungs taking in the scent of rain.

The Cloister's puzzle was quite a clever one; it involved restoring power to a large Yevon glyph in the center of the main chamber. While Auron and I worked on solving the puzzle, Jecht managed to jump across a lightning-filled pit, shock himself in a stream of lightning meant for charging spheres, and exercise unsafe use of a Destruction Sphere, resulting in much singed hair and several minor burns--highly amusing to Auron and me, though not so much for Jecht. Yet somehow, by some miracle of Yevon, we made it through the Trials in one piece.

With my guardians waiting outside, I entered the sacred chamber, knelt before the fayth statue, and began to pray. Minutes later, the ghostly form of a young, muscle-bound man appeared in front of me.

__

Summoner Braska, the fayth greeted me, his warm voice echoing richly inside my head. _You seek the power of Ixion, the guardian of lightning._

"Yes."

__

You seek to destroy Sin, that your daughter may grow up in a peaceful world.

I inclined my head. "I fight for my daughter, yes, and for all of Spira as well."

__

Your motivations are truly noble; I sense that you are a man of honor…and yet, you keep a very important secret from one of your guardians.

I stared at the fayth, confused. "Secret?"

__

The one called Jecht does not know of the summoner's fate.

"He still has much to learn about Spira and her people. It's been a bit of a shock for him. I do not wish to add to his confusion."

__

Your reasoning is sound. I understand your desire to protect your friend; just be careful that you don't wait too long. The fayth smiled. _I freely grant you the power of Ixion. May your sacrifice bring the Calm once again._

A surge of power rushed through my body, the sensation not unlike that of an enormous electrical shock. I couldn't help but think of Jecht's encounter with the lightning in the Cloister; _now I know how that felt, my friend…_

Finally, the power subsided, and I was able to stand. I had to smile at the expression on Jecht's face when I strolled out of the chamber; he'd probably been expecting me to faint again, as I had before. I already knew that my ability to remain conscious after receiving an aeon was a sign of increasing strength as a summoner; however, this new strength didn't make the experience any less tiring.

"We'll rest at the inn tonight," Auron decided, seeing my exhaustion. "We leave at daybreak."

"We'll be ready." I motioned to Jecht, and together, we left the Cloister. One step closer to Zanarkand… one step closer to the Final Aeon.

One step closer to my fate.

* * *

Oh, I so love writing these guys. Good thing, since they're always stuck in my head. It's 12:45 a.m., they don't care. Ah, well, gives me something to do when I have insomnia.

Next chapter: the shoopuf incident. Heh heh heh. That's gonna be fun!


	6. The Shoopuf Incident

I hope I didn't steal anyone's title here, as this sounds very familiar. My apologies if I did. *bows*

Ah, Final Fantasy. Don't own it. Never will. However, I did just finish it for the second time, and I am an emotional train wreck. Again.

* * *

****

The Final Summoning

Chapter 6: The Shoopuf Incident

"That's not a fiend, Jecht! It's a—"

Jecht's sword flashed through the air as the blitzer drunkenly charged the defenseless shoopuf. Auron and I watched helplessly as the poor creature shrieked in agony, victim to Jecht's surprisingly well-aimed strike.

"—Shoopuf," I finished weakly, pressing my hand to my forehead. "Oh, Yevon. Tell me that didn't just occur."

"It did," Auron responded. "I'll go discuss this with him."

I nodded, and Auron strode toward the dock, the crowd of onlookers parting easily before him. I took a deep breath and walked over to the Hypello, whose mood was understandably elevated. Seeing me, he pointed wildly at the wound, then at Jecht.

"Dish man, he ish your guardian?"

"Yes, he is. I apologize for his actions."

"He hurtsh de shoopuf! It cannot crosh de Moonflow like dish." The Hypello glared ferociously at me. "You heal de shoopuf, I hope!"

I examined the wound, surprised by the damage Jecht had managed to inflict. The injury was both long and deep, and it was located directly over one of the shoopuf's legs. I cast a couple of Cura spells, silently vowing to have a long talk with the man from Zanarkand as soon as possible.

"De shoopuf move again?" the Hypello demanded, his voice shrill with worry.

"Ah…" I stalled. "Well, yes. But not until tomorrow morning."

The Hypello's eyes widened. "But de croshing! With no shoopuf, it ish imposhibibble!"

"We have gil," I offered. "We will compensate you."

Unfortunately, the compensation cost _all_ of our gil, which meant we had no money left for supplies. Feeling a bit downcast, I walked back to the shore, where Jecht and Auron were having a decidedly unfriendly conversation. Jecht was sprawled out on the grass, his arm slung across his eyes, clearly suffering the consequences of his intoxication.

"Hey, man, I thought it was a fiend." Jecht uncovered one eye, saw the movie sphere Auron held in his hands, and groaned. "Get that thing outta my face, will ya?"

Auron's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Braska had to pay the shoopuf handler out of his own traveling money."

"That's it." Jecht rose unsteadily, pointing vaguely in Auron's direction. "From now on I drink nothin' but shoopuf milk!"

"Jecht," I called.

"Yeah, whadda you want?"

"That's on the record."

* * * *

We departed early the next morning, much to the Hypello's relief. The other passengers kept peering at us, then whispering to their neighbors. I smiled back, suddenly realizing what an odd trio the three of us made. A summoner in full temple robes, a red-robed warrior monk with an enormous mug of sake on his belt and a giant sword resting on his shoulder, and a shaggy-haired blitzer with trouser legs of different lengths and a large tattoo on his bare chest. It would be difficult for any normal person _not_ to stare at such a threesome.

That, or they knew about the shoopuf incident.

A burst of laughter escaped me, startling several nearby passengers. My guardians eyed me, wearing identical expressions of confusion. For some reason, this made my thoughts seem even more humorous, and I soon found myself doubled over with laughter. Now people were discreetly scooting away.

"What're you laughin' at?" Jecht asked rather nervously.

"I was just studying the three of us." I leaned against the side of the basket, still smiling goofily. "We're an extensively strange trio."

"Heh." Jecht chuckled. "I s'pose we are. No wonder people are starin'."

"I thought they were simply remembering the shoopuf incident," Auron replied, deadpan.

Jecht blinked at him, stunned into silence. Then he clapped Auron on the shoulder.

"A joke!" he bellowed, wincing as his own exultant shout aggravated his headache. "There's hope for you yet, boy. Hey, Braska."

"Yes?"

"You got somethin' for a headache and motion sickness? I feel like I'm 'bout to lose my lunch, y' know?"

"I do, but I don't intend to use it. I want your memories of your last hangover to be as unpleasant and undesirable as possible, so that you won't be inclined to break your promise."

"I told you he'd say that," Auron reminded him quietly.

"Oh, shut up, ya stiff."

"Hah!" Was it my imagination, or was that a laugh? "Knave."

"Oh, yeah? You'll think knave next time we spar, boy." Jecht smirked triumphantly before turning to me. "So where we off to now, Lord Summerner?"

"Guadosalam, the city of the Guado--Maester Jyscal's people. It's also where the Farplane is located."

Jecht looked confused, which was understandable. "I thought the Farplane was where people get sent when they die, like some kinda afterlife or somethin'."

"It is," I replied with a smile. "It is also linked physically to Guadosalam. That is why the Guado call themselves the guardians of the Farplane."

"And you can actually _visit_ this place?" Jecht's eyes widened, his expression a rather comical mixture of fascination and revulsion. "Like walk right in and see actual dead people?"

"More like visions of them. The pyreflies inside the Farplane react to visitors' thoughts and memories, creating images of their deceased loved ones."

"Sounds like a bunch of supernatural nonsense to me," Jecht muttered, almost to himself. Then he looked right into my eyes and said, "So, who you gonna visit?"

"My wife," I replied simply. "Her name was Kelanna. Sin killed her when Yuna was just a baby. That's why I became a summoner."

"Oh." Jecht scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, man. Didn't know."

"You have nothing to apologize for, my friend."

At that moment, the shoopuf waddled up to the shore, mercifully ending the awkward conversation. Without another word, my guardians and I disembarked and walked up the path toward Guadosalam.

* * * *

Guadosalam was an intriguing place, completely unlike any Spiran or Al Bhed settlement I had ever visited. Located deep in a forest on the edge of the Thunder Plains, its paths wound confusingly over, around, and under great networks of roots. A soft, bluish glow illuminated the city, compensating for the lack of natural light. I shivered, my mind tingling with the magic of the Farplane.

"You been here before?" Jecht asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Once, but it wasn't to visit the Farplane. After the Guado turned to Yevon, I came to instruct the people in the teachings. I spent almost a month here."

"I'd've thought the maesters would wanna do that themselves."

"No," Auron replied, "their job is to lead. The temple monks are the ones who teach."

"Then what the hell's a warrior monk?"

"A temple monk trained with weapons. Oh, look!" I pointed my staff up a nearby trail. "The Farplane awaits."

Rather nervously, we approached the entrance to the Farplane. A long staircase led into what seemed to be a swirling, glowing mist. Auron looked at the mist, harumphed quietly, and leaned against the railing, taking a long pull from his sake jug. Jecht charged up the stairs and skidded to a stop, poking at the mist with his hand.

"I'm not so sure I wanna go in there."

"Are you afraid?" Auron taunted him.

"What? No! I ain't afraid of nothin'!" Jecht spun to face the swordsman, his arms folded over his chest. "_I'm _not the one hidin' out on the stairs, either."

"I have no one I wish to see. I'm simply waiting for you and Lord Braska."

Taking my cue, I walked the rest of the way up the stairs, motioning Jecht to follow. We stepped through the mist…

…and into the most bizarre landscape I had seen yet. The rocky plateau we stood upon hovered over a canyon so large, it seemed the whole of Spira could fit inside. A great river poured through the canyon, branching off into smaller rivers and streams. The river itself was fed by a huge roaring waterfall, almost intoxicating in its beauty. At the end of the river lay a vast ocean, glowing under the light of a full moon. 

For a moment, I wondered what would happen if someone fell off the plateau and into that river. Death, probably, but would the sending still be necessary? Was this magnificent scene even real, or was it an illusion, created by the pyreflies to calm the Farplane's visitors?

I blinked rapidly and stared at a cluster of pyreflies, trying to clear the strange thoughts and remember my purpose here. As I focused on the one I had come to visit, a ghostly image appeared before me: a slender woman with deeply tanned skin, sun-bleached hair, and the faint grin that never left her face. Her spiraled green eyes gazed lovingly into mine, just as they had the day she left.

__

"Now, I'm only going to be gone a week. Do you think you can handle the house and little Yunie for one teeny-tiny week, so tayn_?"_

"Absolutely!" After all, I reasoned, I was a grown man, while our daughter was barely eighteen months old. For added assurance, however, I put on a devilish grin and added, "And if I can't, I'll make Auron help."

Kelanna laughed, a sound so beautiful and infectious that Yuna began to giggle too. Still smiling, my wife placed a gentle kiss on our daughter's cheek, and a big mushy one on my lips.

"See you soon!" she chirped, stepping onto the machina-powered Al Bhed boat. As the boat sped away, I could still hear her voice shout, "E muja oui_!"_

Her last words.

I opened my eyes. Kelanna's image remained, the same cheerful expression in her eyes…she was exactly as I remembered her. Without thinking about it, I reached up to touch the illusion's face. My hand met cold, empty air, but still I whispered the words.

"I love you, too."

* * *

Heh. A dose of comedy, followed by a large glass of sadness. Sorry 'bout that.

That last scene ties into my next planned work, which will be a prequel to this story. No title yet, but if you stick around you'll find out soon enough. ^_^

Thanks to the Chapter 5 reviewers: Sakura, Noacat, crystaleyes, and The Angel of the Lion.

Al Bhed translations:

__

So tayn—my dear

__

E muja oui—I love you


End file.
